Welcome to Culture Type!

Exploring art by and about people of African descent, primarily through the lens of books, magazines and catalogs, Culture Type features original research and reporting and shares invaluable interestingness culled from the published record on black art.

Record Breakers? Paintings by Jack Whitten, Sam Gilliam, Barkley L. Hendricks, and Other African American Artists Priced to Set New Auction Highs This Week

Sotheby’s is auctioning “Ancient Mentor I” (1985) by Jack Whitten on Nov. 14 in New York. | Video by Sotheby’s

WORKS BY SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR, expensive, and critically recognized African American artists are featured in this week’s auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips in New York. Several lots will arrive at the auction block with price estimates higher than the artist’s existing record.

In June, “Forth” (1967), a beveled-edge painting by Sam Gilliam went for $1.2 million (including fees), an artist record. Less than six months later, the record is expected to fall. “Lady Day II” (1971), another beveled-edge painting by Gilliam, is featured in Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale on Nov. 15. A tribute to Billie Holiday, the monumental work carries an estimate of $1.5 million to $2 million, which is higher than the artist’s current record.

In addition to “Lady Day II” at Christie’s, “Ancient Mentor I” (1985) by Jack Whitten (1939-2018) at Sotheby’s, and “Jazz on Easter Sunday” (1961) by Sam Middleton (1927-2015) at Phillips, also have estimates higher than the artist’s existing record.

One of the benefits of observing auctions is the opportunity to see works long held in private collections. The fall modern and contemporary auctions this week feature decades-old paintings by Lawrence, Hendricks, Colescott, Whitten, Gilliam, and several by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), among others.

Beyond the likely record breakers, paintings by Mark Bradford and Kerry James Marshall, whose works have garnered the highest prices at auction for living African American artists, are also featured in this week’s sales. Also of interest are paintings by emerging artist Christina Quarles (her first at a major auction) and recent auction favorite Njideka Akunyili Crosby, whose record at auction is more than $3 million. An early painting by Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based Akunyili Crosby is being offered at Christie’s. A sculptural textile by El Anatsui and a selection of works by Glenn Ligon are also for sale, in addition to several other lots by well-known black artists.

New auction highs are expected to be achieved this week among a handful of African American artists. As new records are set, the entities that have consigned these paintings for sale should do handsomely (netting exponential profits), the artists who made the works will receive no direct benefit. This is the case for all artists whose work is sold at auction in the United States—even in California where resales royalties were curbed by an appeals court ruling over the summer.

According to the New York Times: “Variations of resale royalty laws for artists have been implemented worldwide, in dozens of countries including Australia, and most of the countries in the European Union, but all attempts at creation of a United States law have failed.” CT

Sam Gilliam’s beveled-edge paintings have done well over the past year, accounting for three artist records. “Rays” (1971) sold for $684,500 (including fees) at Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated sale on Sept. 27, 2017. The amount, an artist record, far surpassed the $100,000 to $150,000 estimate.

In March, (Untitled, 1968) sold for $885,000 at Sotheby’s New York, setting another auction high. The current $1.2 million record was achieved in June at Sotheby’s London. According to New York Times report, “Forth” (1967) was consigned by a Washington collector and an Asian collector placed the winning bid by phone.

This week “Lady Day II” (1971), another beveled-edged painting by Gilliam is on the auction block. On the back of the painting, on the overlap, it is dated “July 21, 1971” and “Lady Day (Billie)” is inscribed on the stretcher. If there is any interest the painting made nearly a half century ago, it will set yet another record, as the estimate is higher than the existing artist record.

Just last month, Robert Colescott (1925-2009) achieved a new artist record. On Oct. 4, “Down in the Dumps: So Long Sweetheart,” a large 1983 painting was featured in the African-American Fine Art Sale at Swann Auction Galleries. Estimated to sell for $35,000-50,000, the price shot up to $329,000, a new high mark for Colescott.

Martin Puryear is representing the United States at the Venice biennial, where he will present a solo exhibition in the U.S. pavilion in 2019. Puryear reached a high mark when his “Untitled” sculpture (1989) sold for $1.8 million at Christie’s New York in 2014, an artist record. The winning bid was more than twice the estimate ($600,000-$800,000).

This lot is an early painting by Njideka Akunyili Crosby completed a year before she received her MFA from Yale.

Akunyili Crosby set a new benchmark on May 16 when “Bush Babies” (2017) sold for nearly $3.4 million (including fees) at Sotheby’s New York, a new artist record. The painting was featured in the Studio Museum’s Creating Space auction benefitting the museum’s new building. Akunyili Crosby’s previous high was just north of $3 million.

“Adrian Piper: Concepts and Intuitions, 1965-2016” is on view at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles through Jan. 6, 2019. It is being presented as the most comprehensive West Coast exhibition of Piper’s work to date. The 50-year survey features more than 270 works.

The latest auction record for Barkley L. Hendricks (1945-2017) was set on May 16, when “Brenda P” (1974) sold for $2.1 million (including fees) at Sotheby’s New York. The painting was the first female portrait by the artist to come to auction since his death. The benchmark more than doubled his previous record which was just under $1 million.

The current auction record for Jack Whitten (1939-2018) was set one year ago on Nov. 17, 2017, at Sotheby’s New York. His 1986 painting “The Ghost of Joseph Beuys” sold for $855,000 (including fees), against an estimate of $200,000-$300,000.

“Ancient Mentor I” (1985), the current painting up for auction has an expected estimate that surpasses the existing record. The video at the top of this page explores Whitten’s biography and the techniques he used to make the painting.

On June 26, Los Angeles artist Henry Taylor achieved a new artist record when “C&H” (2006) sold for $363,845 (including fees) at Sotheby’s London. The large-scale painting measures 68 x 77 inches and depicts a group of well-dressed people gathered seemingly to take a photo on a patch of green grass. The logo for the California & Hawaiian Sugar Company hovers behind them. Meanwhile, the artist has inserted himself into the image looming large in the background as though protectively watching over them. According to Sotheby’s catalog essay, the group is composed of “friends, family, acquaintances, homeless people, psychiatric patients, and art world colleagues, critics and viewers.” SEE IMAGE here.

The estimate on “C&H” (approximately $159,348-$239,022) was in the same range as the estimate for the current lot on offer.

Bradford’s current record at auction stands at nearly $12 million, achieved when “Helter Skelter I” (2007) sold at Phillips London on March 8. The sale of the painting, which was owned by John McEnroe, was heavily promoted. The estimate for “Helter Skelter I” was set at about $8.3 to $11 million, which was higher than Bradford’s previous record (about $5.7 million). The Broad Museum in Los Angeles was later revealed as the buyer of “Helter Skelter I.”

FIND MORE about Mark Bradford’s Helter Skelter I on Culture Type here and here

Sam Middleton (1927-2015) established a new artist record last month at Swann Auction Galleries. His Untitled (1962), oil and sand on masonite board, painting was featured in the Oct. 4 African-American Fine Art Sale and yielded $13,750 (including fees), an artist record. The current lot for sale at Phillips carries an estimate that is higher than the artist’s high mark.

The painting up for auction, “Pull on Thru Tha Nite” (2017), was on view in “Baby, I Want Yew To Know All Tha Folks I Am,” her solo exhibition at David Castillo Gallery in Miami. Quarles’s painting is the first lot in Phillips evening sale and the work is her first to appear at a major auction.

Kerry James Marshall holds the record for the achieving the highest price at auction among living African American artists. In May, “Past Times” (1977), Marshall’s grand-scale painting of African Americans at leisure, sold for more than $21.1 million (nearly twice estimate of $8 million to $12 million). It was later revealed that Sean Combs was the winning bidder.

SUPPORT CULTURE TYPE
Do you enjoy and value Culture Type? Please consider supporting its ongoing production by making a donation. Culture Type is an editorially independent solo project that requires countless hours and expense to research, report, write, and produce. To help sustain it, make a one-time donation or sign up for a recurring monthly contribution. It only takes a minute. Many Thanks for your support.

1 comment

I think these are accomplished artists who did the work developing their own signature styles and deserve the recognition. Most, if not all of them have garnered recognition throughout their careers…I know a couple of these artists and admire their deep awareness of the hurdles they would need to get around to sell their art in the millions. The AfriCobra artists have had several exhibitions in recent years…I am grateful some are still alive to see their success. They had three women members. Barkley Hendricks insisted on figuration when other artists were conceptual or installation artists. These artists have all earned their place in art history. I wish art schools would teach students how to get noticed…technique matters less than who knows you!

Support Culture Type

Do you enjoy and value Culture Type? Please consider supporting its ongoing production by making a donation. Culture Type is an editorially independent solo project that requires countless hours and expense to research, report, write, and produce. To help sustain it, make a one-time donation or sign up for a recurring monthly contribution. It only takes a minute. Many Thanks for your support.

From the Archives: Culture Talk: Bruce Talamon on Photographing David Hammons

Soaring Past $7 Million, ‘Untitled (Painter)’ by Kerry James Marshall is Top Seller at Sotheby’s New York

Tate Britain Plans Major Lynette Yiadom-Boakye Survey in 2020

Major Works From the Charles White Archive Make a Rare Appearance in a Selling Exhibition at David Zwirner

Betye Saar, 92, is Taking Steps to Secure Her Legacy While Forging Ahead with New Artwork and Exhibitions

Black Art History: Jacob Lawrence’s Narrative Series About Black Perseverance and American Rebellion Inspired a Cache of Children’s Books

Black Art History: 10 Children’s Books Illuminate the Lives of Important African American Artists and Photographers

A Look Back: For 8 Years, President Obama Touted Merits of Art for Change

Next: 28 Art Curators to Watch Who Took on New Appointments in 2018

Culture Type Picks: 18 Best Black Art Books of 2018

Culture Type: The Year in Black Art 2018

Archives

Archives

Culture Type participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to help sites earn modest commissions by linking to amazon.com. When you make any purchase from Amazon, and the many independent vendors, small businesses, and booksellers that partner with Amazon, via a link from this site, Culture Type receives a minute percentage of its price. The program helps offset a small portion of the countless hours and expense required to research, report, write and produce Culture Type's content.